It's Complicated
by Awen Sofer
Summary: Naruto and his lover share an extremely complicated relationship. They are both married to other people but love each other. Their secret relationship could be the death of them, however,some things are worth dying for. NON CANON ALTERNATE UNIVERSE/OC
1. Seeking Solace

Seeking Solace

Aiko heard a scrabbling sound on the balcony of her second floor bedroom. Closing her emerald green eyes momentarily, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. He was here: the one whose arrival she had waited for so long – her lover. Getting out of the bed, she forced herself to walk with an unhurried, casual pace to the French doors. She had been anxiously awaiting the night when he would come to her again, but she refused to act impatient.

'A desperate woman is a pathetic woman, especially if it's about a man,' her mother's caustic words ricocheted through her brain. Aiko had committed the one cardinal sin of relationships according to her mother's warped sense of affairs: she needed him. She was desperate for him. She loved him.

Opening the doors slowly, she stepped back as he entered. The moon created a white blue aura around his silhouette until he fully came into the golden glow of her room. His hair, the color of the sun, was still spiky, just a little more maintained now that he was CEO of his father's company. Her eyes met his familiar indigo blue ones. He had never grown into those overly huge eyes that still held a sweetness and innocence that he had kept all his life despite things that happened to him. She had loved him for so long yet in the end, their relationship was just not meant to be.

They belonged to other people and not each other. They had been forced to marry other people simply because it was 'good for business.' They had merged powerful companies when they united in marriage with the partners chosen for them by their parents. Their companies were startling successes; their marriages were miserable failures. However, they had found each other again and were struggling to save each other from drowning in the pain of loveless marriages and empty existences.

Naruto reached out to her expecting her to disappear like an apparition. His tanned hand contacted her silky soft porcelain doll like cheek and he smiled with relief. It was not a dream. She was here, and she was real. He loved her. She had always been there for him, been his biggest supporter, and been the person who loved him the most. In elementary school, she would dry his tears and tend to his wounds, both physical and emotional, from the school bullies. Throughout high school, he was viewed as a loser and an annoying moron, but she was still proud to be with him. After that came the university years and drastic changes. Through martial arts training and weightlifting, he developed the physique of a blond Greek god. Then when his father turned the position of CEO of his company over to him, _everything_ changed. It was a wondrous thing that money and muscles could raise the degree of one's attractiveness so much.

"I've missed you," she told him in a breathy voice that was thick with emotion and betrayed her need.

"I know. I've missed you too," he responded, his fingertips gliding over her chin and down her neck. He could see her chest rising and falling faster as his fingers traced the deep V of her black silk robe. She was absolutely stunning. Her dark Auburn hair appeared to be brown in the warm glow of dim lights enveloping them.

"Naruto, wh –" She had no choice but to stop talking when he lay his finger against her lips. She held her breath when she felt his fingers tugging at the belt of her robe. Holding her arms straight down, she allowed the material to slide down to the floor.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his eyes roaming over her hungrily. He pulled off his black t-shirt and threw it on the nearby chair.

If she gasped 'oh, my god' she would be absolutely right. Chiseled in flesh instead of marble, Naruto stood in front of her in all his physical glory. She watched silently, keeping her eyes on his every graceful movement as he took off his black jeans and stood before her completely naked. Gorgeous – from an artistic and an aethetic perspective.

"Are you still mine?" he asked, sliding his arms around her.

"I've always been yours," she replied, closing her eyes when his mouth claimed hers for a demanding kiss.

Aiko moaned, feeling weak from the kiss, however, his firm hold on her would not allow her to fall. In a perfect world, she really would be his. Instead she was married to Sasuke Uchiha the filthy rich sole successor to the Uchiha Empire built on the illegal weapons trade. Her family owned a gunsmithing business, one of the best in the country. It was a business match made in a heaven but a marriage made in hell. Sasuke had just become the sole proprietor after murdering his brother with his own bare hands six months ago. Itachi was a kind and generous man, never meant to a part of the family's illegal enterprise. He was in too deep just by virtue of being born into the family and the only way out was death which his brother swiftly dispatched one night in the family home. Sasuke had sent her out of the room, ordering her to go to bed. Halfway up the stairs, she heard the terrifying, bone-chilling scream; that special unmistakable shriek that comes with a death blow. She never saw his body or even a droplet of blood. The Erasers were very good at their job. They could make it seem like a person had never existed at all. That would be her fate if her affair with Naruto were revealed. Even criminals have pride, probably more so than genuine businessmen. If her husband ever discovered her relationship with his greatest enemy they would both be killed.

Naruto, however, was a legitimate businessman who had been given the reins to the family business, a ramen noodle factory, for his graduation present from college. He had married Sakura Haruno; the woman who spurned him and ridiculed him as a child and all the way through high school. After seeing him at home during a school break from university, she decided she wanted him. All it took was running to daddy and a few tears to warrant a meeting between the parents and a marriage was arranged. The Harunos had more prestige and power than money but that was all it took to trap Naruto in a marriage he did not want.

"Can I have you?" he asked, his deep blue eyes staring into her emerald ones.

"Yes," she answered briefly. There was no need for a lot of words at this moment.

Aiko held his gaze as he laid her back on the bed and buried himself inside of her, physically and emotionally. She was his one true safe haven where he could find the solace he needed for his wounded heart and aching body. He was the man who held her heart and gave her consolation for the insensitive and cold husband she endured on a daily basis.

"Naruto," she gasped, pressing her face against his neck as he moved inside of her and brought her pleasure that no other man ever could. Her arms enclosed his broad shoulders while she held him and concentrated on his uneven breathing as he made love to her. Every moan or grunt he emitted in ecstasy heightened her arousal and pleasure. He had always been a tender, attentive lover and made her feel like no other man loved her like he did because in plain terms no man did love her like him – they never had and they never will.

"Aiko, I love you," he murmured to her, kissing her lips briefly. He smiled with contentment when she nestled back into him and groaned with pleasure as her body tightened around him inside of her.

"I love you too," she moaned back, her lips grazing his neck and making a shock of desire run down his spine.

Naruto could feel his ultimate end coming so he pressed his mouth to hers to muffle his loud groan when he climaxed. He gently probed her mouth with his tongue as she whimpered and writhed underneath him with her orgasm. Kissing away her tears, he held her tightly as he whispered 'I love you' over and over.

Aiko savored being in his arms as long as she could. She always hated this part. Pushing him back so she could see his face, she looked into his blue eyes with a sad, apologetic smile on her face.

"You need to go," she murmured, feeling her heart breaking just like it always did at this moment.

"I know. I don't know when I- " He started to say, but she cut him off by pressing her lips to his. She knew the drill; they had been doing this for far too long not to know how things go. He would come back as soon as he could but never knew when that would be.

"Kiss me and go. Be a ghost," she said, closing her eyes. She knew he would leave and it would be like he was never there at all. Keeping her eyes closed after the farewell kiss, she counted to twenty to give him enough time to depart. It was always easier to not have to watch him go. Thankfully, tonight she was asleep before she reached twenty so she would not have to cry herself to sleep.

* * *

Aiko entered what was supposed to be her office but instead had become her husband's. After their marriage he had effectively taken over her company and was using it as a cover for his weapons smuggling enterprise. He had picked the perfect bride. She forced a smile to her face when he turned in the chair to regard her with his cold black eyes. Sitting on the desk in front of him, her smile faltered when his hand covered her knee. He hardly ever touched her.

"Good morning, my wife. You look exceptionally lovely today," Sasuke complimented, standing up to run his fingers through her thick hair. "You're positively glowing."

"Am I?" she queried, her body trembling as his fingers traced the curve of her jaw and her chin. "It must be the new make-up I'm using. I always want to be beautiful for you to make you proud."

"You're so sweet. It's why I love you," he murmured in his slightly sinister voice. Slightly? Extremely sinister voice.

Aiko concentrated on relaxing her body when he pulled her forward to kiss her lips. Oh, god! What the hell was going on here?

"Sasuke, are you feeling all right?" she dared to ask.

"I'm fine," he laughed lightly, a very unmelodious sound in her ear. "Is it wrong to show my wife a little affection?"

'For you, it's extremely wrong and highly unusual,' she thought to herself but smiled at him instead. She held her breathe when he leaned in to kiss her again. What the hell…oh, it gets worse. She gasped when he took her hand and pressed it against the hardness below his waist. Oh, no, he can't. Where are all of his girlfriends? Can't he go use one of them and leave her alone like he always does?

"Sasuke, what –" She was cut off by a firm, severe kiss. He would not be taking no for an answer. Although this was her husband, she felt like she was betraying the man she really loved. She felt him pulling her forward off the desk.

"Kneel down," he ordered her, sitting down in the chair.

This just keeps getting more horrifying by the moment. Aiko swallowed hard as she watched him unbuckle his belt and continue until he had taken out his erect member. "Here? In the office? Are you crazy?" she hissed, staring him with panic stricken eyes.

"I'll take you anytime, anywhere, and you will do what I say because you are my wife. Kneel down!" he ordered her, grabbing her by the hand.

Aiko cried out when he jerked her arm so hard a tearing pain burned through her shoulder. Did he rip it out of socket? She glared at him, rubbing her sore shoulder while rotating it a bit. Her eyes held his piercing black ones while she placed her hands on his thighs and lowered herself to her knees between his legs. A heavy feeling formed in her stomach and she closed her eyes when he pulled her head forward. Nausea welled within her so violently she broke into a cold sweat when he traced her lips with the head of his member.

"Now, my wife, show me how much you love me," he commanded her.

Aiko resisted the temptation to bite it off because he would kill her. Her lover was busy with problems of his own from his significant other.

* * *

"I want a baby!" Sakura whined shamelessly while pouting and stamping her feet like a two year old who did not get her way. It was truly disgraceful for a grown woman to act in such a way. She was standing there in nothing but a bra and panties which only made it more appalling.

"You're still one yourself. No," Naruto answered bluntly, walking away from her.

"I want a baby!" she yelled, jumping on his back.

"Get off you psycho!" he bellowed, shaking her off of his back. He turned on her before she could roundhouse kick him. Grabbing her by the ankle, he pushed her over onto her back. He could not keep the smile from curling her lips when she crashed to the floor with a shriek of pain.

"Bastard!" she screamed, launching herself off the floor. She jumped onto the front of him, wrapping herself around him like a monkey. Rubbing her body against him, she knew he would not be able to resist her for long because he was a man after all. "You _will_ give me a baby."

Naruto groaned in aggravation and disgust, throwing the pink haired harpy on the bed. He screwed her hard and fast, suffering through the event to finish off with a pathetic orgasm during ejaculation. Afterwards, he took another shower and went to work.

Little did Aiko and Naruto know that their complicated relationship was about to get even more complicated.


	2. Save the Last Dance

Save the Last Dance

Naruto was sitting beside his pink haired wife pretending to be happy. He rolled his eyes as she laughed loudly like a braying donkey and punched Shikamura in the arm. She was already a bit tipsy and they had only been at the fundraiser for an hour. He glanced around anxiously wondering when Aiko and Sasuke would arrive.

Like him and his wife, they always attended these pointless social functions that were used to make rich people feel like they were actually contributing to society. Unfortunately it was expected of them simply because of their financial status. Most of these people did not even know or care if the money they raised was spent for the named cause. It was used as an opportunity to network and make business connections for most of the attendees. Others, like Sakura, enjoyed the social prestige that was imparted by their presence.

Naruto was surprised and glad that their spouses had not yet picked up on the tension that ensued between him and Aiko when they met on social occasions. Their affair had begun when they reunited at one of these black tie charity events. He had seen her across the room at the end of the evening and asked her to dance. They had met for lunch the next day to talk about old times and catch up on recent events. It was just supposed to be lunch and nice talk between friends – nothing more. What happened after that still makes him smile when he thinks about it. After lunch, he had driven her to the secluded make out place that held wonderful memories for them. He had made love to her in the back seat of his car just like when they were seventeen. It had never been their intention to begin an affair but it did seem to be their destiny. Despite the years that had passed and their marriages to other people, nothing had changed between them about how they loved each other.

Naruto sighed sadly from the short trip down memory lane before bringing his attention back to the present and to the front door. He snapped out of his reverie just in time to see his lady love enter with her husband. His breath caught in his throat upon seeing her, just like it always had when he sees her. She was stunning dressed in the plain black strapless dress that flowed to the floor. His palms itched because his hands wanted to skim over her lovely curves accentuated by the dress. He would like to press many kisses to her creamy white neck that was exposed by her dark auburn hair being pulled up into a loose bun with a few loose curls hanging down to grace her lovely shoulders. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the sight of her took its physical toll by making him grow stiff with need.

"Hey! What are you looking at?" Sakura barked in his ear as she grabbed his arm.

Naruto forced himself not to cringe from the sound of her voice. He leaned away from her when she spoke again.

"Oh, it's _her_," she growled, her eyes moving to the dark haired husband of the woman. Her glassy eyes took on a daydreamy appearance, and she sighed longingly as she stared at the person who was truly the man of her dreams. Her fascination with Naruto had been a hormonally driven infatuation that ended in marriage. Now it was too late to let him go because she had too much pride to go through what would surely be an embarrassing divorce. Besides, he had his good points like tons of money and social connections and he did have a really hot body, although he was no Sasuke Uchiha. She sighed again, leaning on her blond husband's arm.

"See something you like, dear?" Naruto teased her, grinning at her knowingly. It was comical to him that she still had a crush on Uchiha after all these years.

"You know I do," she retorted, licking her lips as her big green eyes moved up and down Sasuke's tuxedo clad body. It was apparent that in her mind he was totally naked.

"You're something else, Blossom," Naruto snorted derisively. He did not care that she still wanted Sasuke. His only wish was that he could give his wife to the man. He would gladly trade for Aiko Uchiha, the woman he really wanted, and be happy for the rest of his life. If only it were possible. He sighed heavily with hopelessness, his eyes remaining on the woman of his dreams as they were led to their table.

* * *

Aiko reluctantly took Hidan's extended hand as he held out the chair for her with his other one. She did not like lascivious, dangerous man who was her husband's top enforcer. He was very handsome despite having prematurely silver hair and unusual dark purple eyes. He had an excessively dirty mouth and the most uncontrollable libido. He placed his hand on her upper thigh, suggestively licking his lips.

Aiko visibly cringed, pushing his hand from her thigh. Why couldn't Sasuke have let her sit on the other side beside Pein? At least he knew how to keep his hands to himself. He also had his wife Konan with him. They could have switched places to put the two women side by side.

"Hidan, I swear if you touch me again, I'll break your fingers," Aiko hissed at him when she felt his hand on her thigh again.

"How do you know I won't like it? I like the rough stuff," he chuckled, digging his fingers into the muscle of her leg.

"Bastard," she growled, shoving herself away from the table. She looked at her husband who wore a puzzled expression on his face. "I'm going to the ladies' room."

"Hurry back. The entertainment is about to start. I'll get you a drink while you're gone," Sasuke said, watching her walk away. She was one of the few women he enjoyed observing their exit from a room as much as their entrance.

Aiko sighed heavily. She would have a glass of white wine waiting on her when she returned. She preferred red. He always made all of her choices for her when they were together from what she wore to what she drank and ate. The only time she felt freedom was when she stayed at the beach house he had built for her. The only time she felt loved was when Naruto could manage to sneak away from his busy life and visit her. Sighing again, she sat down on one of the couches in the outer lounge area that led to the restrooms. Only the disturbingly rich and lazy would think of building a sitting area for the restrooms. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back on the couch and attempted to relax.

Aiko allowed her imagination to drift to her lover, forming a picture in her mind of her personal blond god. Thanks to the distraction of Hidan, she had been unable to look around and find him yet. She was sure she would see him before the night was over and possibly be able to dance with him later when that part of the evening began. That was the one good thing about these shallow public soirees. They allowed the two of them to interact without any suspicions being raised because everyone mingled. Everyone talked and laughed together and it was not unusual for people to break off into pairs with members of the opposite sex for conversations. Wives danced with other women's husbands and vice versa. No one thought a thing about it, and it was almost expected.

Aiko felt a presence in front of her just before a hand touched her shoulder. She sprang up before opening her eyes, driving the top of her head into a hard object that felt like a chin. Her thick hair in the updo on her head served as a cushion to protect her from injury but the other person was not so lucky. She blinked in surprise as she stared at her favorite blond who she loved so dearly.

"Ow!" Naruto exclaimed, rubbing his chin while he looked at the astonished Aiko.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," she murmured, latching onto his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest. She was so happy to see him that she did not even bother noticing how handsome he looked in his tuxedo. There would be time to look at him later when that was all she could do. Right now she could touch him so she wanted to make the most of it.

"You have an interesting way of saying hello, my love," he told her with a slight chuckle, burying his face in her soft auburn hair.

"Oh, I've missed you. How much longer will it be before I see you again?" she asked, looking up at him with hope filled green eyes.

"Soon. Will you be staying at your house next week?" he inquired, tracing her chin with his finger. He was referring to her house at the beach that only she stayed at. Her husband had unwittingly built a love nest just for them.

"I can be."

"I'll come see you."

"Kiss me," she implored him.

"We'll have to be quick," he reminded her, holding her face in his hands.

Aiko closed her eyes when his lips pressed against hers. Her fingers gripped his waist when he deepened the kiss momentarily. She could not stifle her whimper of disappointment when his lips lifted from hers. She bit her lower lip when he released her and stepped back.

"I'll see you soon, my love," he said, running his thumb along her jawline. He turned and made a quick exit from the room before he stayed too long and gave in to the temptation to kiss her again.

Aiko could hear her heart beating in her ears. She paced the room, waiting a few minutes for her heart beat to return to normal and to allow the heat to dissipate from her face. Women were expected to take a long time in the restroom so she had no real reason to hurry. It would be a while before Sasuke started to miss her. When she did make her way back, the lights had been lowered since the first act, a ballerina, was performing on the stage.

Aiko ignored Hidan's leer as she took her seat between him and her husband. Her pulse quickened and her heart felt as if it might beat out of her chest when the man's hand groped her breast in the dark.

"What have you been up to little girl?" he asked, rubbing his thumb over her hard nipple. "You seem awfully excited about something."

"Really? Does everything have to be about sex with you? Did it occur to you I might be cold? Get your hands off of me," she ordered, shoving his hand away. "Don't ever touch me like that again."

"Or you'll do what?" he asked, grunting when she seized him between the legs and squeezed mercilessly.

Aiko clamped down even harder to make him cry out in pain eliciting angry shushes from neighboring tables. "Touch me again and I will tell my husband you raped me. He will cut this off and let you slowly bleed to death. Do you believe me?"

"Y-yes, m-ma'am," he stammered, his face turning red as he began panting from the unbelievable pain. "P-please, l-let m-me g-go."

"Pathetic," she growled, releasing him. It was hard not to laugh when he nearly fell out of the chair from relief after being loosed from her viselike grasp.

Aiko sipped the white wine her husband had gotten for her, patiently biding her time through the performances until the dancing portion of the evening started. Once her eyes adjusted to the lights coming back up, she searched the room for Naruto. Seeing his bright blond hair across the room, she stood to go to him but was stopped by Sasuke who grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked, staring at her with his emotionless black eyes.

"To dance," she answered, attempting to pull her wrist out of his grip but he held fast.

"The first dance is always mine. You know that," he reminded her, leading her to the dance floor. "After that, you're up for grabs by any man."

"I don't like it when you say things like that, Sasuke," she grumbled, putting her hand in his as his other hand lay on the curve of her hip. She placed her hand on his shoulder, looking into his bottomless dark eyes.

"Why?" he queried, a hint of amusement making his eyes gleam.

"Because I'm your wife," she answered as he pushed her around the dance floor. "It makes me think you don't care."

"Aiko, we both know this was a marriage of convenience. My convenience. You were the perfect bride who offered the perfect cover for me. You're my trophy wife. You're beautiful and look good on my arm. You're great in bed too. Don't pretend we have to actually care about each other," he told her, kissing her cheek.

"I feel special," she mumbled, forcing a smile to her lips.

When the song ended, Sasuke quickly walked away leaving her on the dance floor by herself. It was not long before another willing partner stepped up. Aiko smiled at Shikamaru, Naruto's best friend and Chief Financial Officer of his company.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing politely.

"Of course you may," she answered, holding up her hands and stepping into position.

Shikamaru was one of the few other people besides her who had been friends with Naruto for years. Aiko often wondered just how much he knew about what went on between her and Naruto. Either he was very good at keeping a secret or he knew nothing at all because he never betrayed anything in word or deed to let on that he knew about their affair. When their dance was over she immediately had another partner but not the blond she was looking for. Her partner was Rock Lee who thankfully was drunk which improved his dancing skills greatly. After a few more dances and catching only fleeting glances of the partner she longed for, she decided it was time to sit out a few. She retreated to the veranda that overlooked the river to avoid having to turn down partners.

Aiko kicked off her high heels and pulled herself onto the wide stone balustrade to rest her aching feet and legs. She rolled her aching neck and shoulders in an attempt to loosen them up. She cast an eye over the river that looked like an inky black writhing mass in the dim moonlight.

"I was wondering where you were hiding," Naruto's voice came from behind her. He strolled across the wide stone balcony toward her with a lopsided grin on his face.

"There you are. I've been waiting for you all night. The last dance is yours," she said, hopping down from the wall to retrieve her shoes.

"All right, Cinderella. Let's have that last dance," he returned, taking her into his arms.

"Well, can't I just put on my shoes? " She wiggled her finger that held her strappy silver heels.

"Just leave them off and dance with me." He grabbed the shoes and tossed them a few feet away.

"Out here?"

"Out here."

The music from inside was carried to them on the cool night breeze that blew over them. There was also a symphony of crickets and frogs making their own night music as well. Aiko shivered and Naruto pulled her closer pressing his large warm hand to her bare back.

"You look beautiful tonight," he whispered in her ear, kissing just below her earlobe. He smiled when she shivered again because it was not from the chilly breeze. That had always been her sweet spot. He doubted her husband knew that. He had accidentally discovered it when they were seventeen years old and playing around in the backseat of his car. It was graduation night and they were celebrating. They celebrated by taking each other's virginity and making all sorts of promises that they would not be able to keep due to unforeseen circumstances.

"What are you thinking about?" Aiko asked, squeezing his hand to get his full attention.

"The past," Naruto answered honestly, embracing her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"Don't hurt yourself by thinking about the past."

"I can't help myself."

"I know. I do it sometimes too," she admitted.

They continued to slowly sway back and forth in each other's arms despite the fact the music had stopped. After several minutes, they decided it was time to go find their spouses before Sasuke and Sakura found them. They shared a long, meaningful gaze, not daring to kiss.

"Thank you for sharing your last dance with me," he said, bowing and kissing the back of her hand.

Aiko felt a lump of restrained emotions beginning to form in her throat. Her green eyes filled with tears as she watched him walk away. Good-bye was always the most difficult word to say so they avoided it.

"Naruto?" she called just before he reentered the ballroom. She continued when he halted without turning to look at her. "They say to always save the best for last. I'll always save my last dance for you."


	3. A Private Hell for Each

A Private Hell for Each

Aiko sat in one of the cushy leather chairs in the sound proof observation room of the firing range used for testing the guns that were crafted in the workshop. She watched Sasuke intently while he inspected the antique gun he had just purchased. A soft smile curled her lips mirroring the slight smile that was on his face; he was always happy when he played with his special toys. That gun was the strangest thing she had ever seen. It was a three barreled shotgun that she thought was something someone had made as a joke, but it actually worked. The whole barrel casing had to be rotated to fire from each barrel and they could not be fired simultaneously.

"What?" her husband inquired without looking at her.

"I just like watching you when you're working with your guns. It's one of the few times I get to see you smile," she replied, her heart beating faster with apprehension when he raised his eyes to meet hers. Despite being a complete asshole for the most part, he was a strikingly handsome man who bordered on beautiful. His almond shaped black eyes and shiny black hair were a lovely contrast against his flawless ivory skin. Her smile widened when she thought of Naruto whose only pretty feature was his big round sapphire blue eyes. The rest of him was definitive masculine handsomeness in comparison to her husband's virile but nonetheless fragile looking beauty. However, there was nothing fragile about him because Sasuke was muscular and physically powerful. She had seen what his fists had done to other men, and he had killed his own brother with his bare hands.

Sasuke pointed the gun at her, looking down the barrel to aim since there was no sight on the gun. "Do you trust me with your life, Aiko?" he asked calmly, pulling back the hammer of the gun.

"Yes," she answered less than honestly because her terror filled heart was slamming against her rib cage. She could feel her whole body trembling when he continued to hold the gun on her.

"Good," he responded, pointing the gun toward the ceiling. "You should know I protect what belongs to me."

Aiko forced herself to breathe deeply to slow her heart beat down to a normal cadence. She hated it when he did stupid things like that to show aggression and dominance over her. It was already painfully obvious that he owned her and ruled over, but she guessed he believed she needed a reminder occasionally.

The door opened and his explosives expert walked in. Deidara was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. With his long blond hair and crystal blue eyes he would make a gorgeous woman, but he was without a doubt all man. He had a slim but tightly packed muscular body. He also had a disturbing tendency to be excessively cruel.

"Hey, boss, a new shipment just arrived that you need to inspect. The supplier is here as well to make another deal," Deidara informed Sasuke.

"Where's Sasori? I need him to babysit while we do that," he said, laying the gun on the table in front of him. "Go get him and bring him here."

"Sasuke –" Aiko started to protest to be cut off. She glared at Deidara as he strode past her with his ever present smirk on his face. Smug little bastard.

"Aiko, you know I always want you away from here when meetings take place. I want to keep you safe," he told her, sliding his thumb down her cheek and along her jawline.

Aiko sighed in resignation to her husband's demands. She supposed in his own weird way he did love her, but she just did not understand it. There was no emotion or feeling and only sporadic bursts of affection. He mostly touched her when he was having sex with her, although she would be hard pressed to call those, at times fierce, sexual encounters affectionate. There were certain rules and expectations in their relationship that if not adhered to and fulfilled by her, it was met with a sometimes harsh punishment – _that_ did not seem like love at all. She did not mind being with Sasori and he was, as her husband had said in demeaning terms, her appointed bodyguard. She liked him because he reminded her of her brother with his short shaggy dark auburn hair and big brown eyes. He was always soft spoken and kind to her, treating her with respect when most of the other jerks her husband kept close to him did not. Not once had he ever touched her or said anything inappropriate which was why her husband trusted him with her.

"Did you need me, boss?" Sasori inquired, walking into the room.

"Take Aiko somewhere. I don't care where. Just get her out of here," Sasuke ordered, striding out of the room past the redhead.

"Where to ma'am?" he asked her, smiling at her.

"Take me to the beach house," she muttered, getting up and walking out of the door with him behind her. "I'll be staying there a while."

* * *

Naruto eyed Sakura suspiciously when she entered his office. He knew she would not care that he had a ton of paperwork to complete as she sashayed over to his desk and ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes met her seafoam green eyes that were such a different shade than Aiko's dark emerald green eyes. He held his breath when she leaned down to kiss him before sitting in his lap.

"Naruto, I've got something I need to ask," she said, loosening his tie. She pressed her lips to his for another kiss as she pulled the tie off and threw it on the floor.

"Blossom, don't. I've got too much work to do," he protested, pushing her hands away as she began undoing the buttons on his shirt.

"There's a bunch of us getting together for a trip. An all girls weekend. Is it okay if I go?" she asked, sliding her hand inside his shirt and over his chest.

"Of course. You know I don't mind," he answered, moaning when she pinched his nipple. He could not help but feel excited as she rubbed her behind against him making him hard.

"Naruto," she whispered, reaching for his belt. "Make love to me. I need you."

Naruto picked her up, sitting her on the desk. He pushed apart her legs not surprised to feel that she was not wearing any underwear. This was not the first time she had visited his office for a conjugal visit. Freeing his hard, throbbing member from his pants, he shoved into her wet wanting body. He thrust into her to kill the aching of his manhood but nothing could stop the pain in his heart. Being careful not to moan the name of the woman he was thinking about, he called Sakura generic names like baby or sweetheart. His fingers twisted into her shoulder length pink hair wishing it was waist length auburn hair. He pushed her down on the desk, shoving into her forcefully. Papers rained down to the floor as he slid her across his desk from his powerful movements. He covered her mouth with his to quiet her excessively loud moans of pleasure. After a few more hard plunges into her body, he held her down as she convulsed beneath him from her orgasm before he released the climax that he was holding back. He immediately went to the bathroom attached to his office to clean up while Sakura straightened her dress and checked her hair and make-up. How could he feel guilty for having sex with his wife? He knew why, but there was nothing he could do about it at this time.

Sakura happily bounded over to him like a giddy child, kissing him hard on the lips. "Thanks, babe. You were wonderful as always. See ya later. Maybe we can have a repeat performance tonight," she said, winking at him before skipping out of the door.

Naruto plopped down in his desk chair feeling torn and confused. He decided to push it out of his mind and get back to work. There were things that needed to be done. He also had somewhere he needed to go this weekend. There was an important meeting that was going to take place at a house on the beach with a lovely redhead.

* * *

Aiko had been at the beach house by herself for three days now. She still trusted the man she loved would come to her. Her eyes squinted as if that would help her see into the dark or the future, whichever would help her know when he would be arriving. She sipped her wine, closing her eyes to listen to the rhythmic waves. The regular cadence of their ebb and flow comforted her heart and her mind. This was why she wanted this house on the beach; it had always been the one place in the world she could find peace especially now.

Opening her eyes, a shadowy form dropping onto the deck from the roof caught her attention. She gasped when the man dressed in all in black took off the mask to reveal a wonderfully spiky head of sunny yellow hair. Of course he had to do something to hide that hair of his or it would be like a beacon in the night. Biting her lip, she slowly stood up as she watched him run his fingers through his disheveled hair in a pointless attempt to tame it. She stepped out of the shadows from the overhang on the porch into the weak moonlight that easily illuminated her in the short white nightgown. A smile for him curled her lips when his eyes were drawn to her.

"Just leave it. The Naruto I knew a long time ago had hair like that. It brings back wonderful memories," she murmured, going to him and sliding her arms around his waist. With her ear pressed against his heart, she listened to its rapid beat as he held her and stroked her hair.

"I've missed you," Naruto whispered, kissing her forehead.

"I've missed you too," she rejoined, sliding one of her hands over his brawny chest.

"Aiko," he murmured, placing his hand over hers. He brought her hand to his lips kissing each fingertip.

"Naruto," she moaned just before his mouth claimed hers. The kiss was slow and sweet, their lips tenderly grazing each other before pressing together gently then repeating the process.

Naruto leaned her head back, holding her jaw in his hands as his tongue gently slid between her slightly parted lips, slowly separating them as he gained entrance to her mouth. It reminded him of the way his member slowly separated her tight little body when he entered her to make love to her. When she moaned with arousal, he was instantly hard and ready for her. His tongue slid over hers, tasting the wine she had been drinking before he arrived. He groaned from being stimulated even more by the taste of her. Moving his hands down to her hips, he pulled her against the bulge in his jeans. Moving his tongue in and out of her mouth suggestively, he pushed his hips against hers to make her whimper with longing for him.

"You're such a tease," she joked breathlessly, her desire laden eyes meeting his.

"No, I'm not. I plan to follow through," he threatened with a smile, lifting her up. He smiled as she enclosed his body with her muscular legs and his neck with her arms.

Naruto carried her into the house taking her straight to the bedroom while she pressed kisses to his face and neck. He lay her down on the bed, pulling at the ribbon that laced up her plain cotton nightgown.

"Well, well, isn't this a pretty little chaste thing you're wearing," he teased her, unlacing the front of the gown to reveal her breasts.

"If I had known you would be arriving tonight, I would have worn something sexier," she panted, her eyes closing and her lips parting as his fingers stroked one of her dark pink nipples.

"Mmmm…I like this just fine," he purred, pushing her legs apart to discover she was not wearing panties. "Oh, yeah, I like this a lot."

Aiko sat up, clawing at the button on his jeans. She wanted him and thought she might die if she did not have him inside of her soon. Any time was always too long without him. She slid down his zipper, grunting with frustration when he pushed her back down on the bed. Her eyes widened when he pushed down his jeans and his member sprang out, hard and straight.

"Want it?" he asked, sliding himself between her legs and pushing the head against her.

"Don't be mean," she snapped, attempting to grab him and he pulled back out of reach while he held her down with a hand on her chest.

"Trust me. I'm suffering too," he assured her, positioning himself back between her legs.

"Then stop the pain for both of us," she said, staring into his eyes.

"Oh, god, I want to," he whispered to her, sinking into her bit by bit as he lay down on top of her. He kissed her fervently, burying himself completely inside of her body.

Aiko held him to her, kissing his neck while he moved inside of her. Arching her back, she pushed him back a bit to be able to see him. She lovingly traced every contour of his face as he looked down at her with his adoring blue eyes.

"Naruto," she gasped, sliding her hands down his back. It was hard not to dig her fingernails into his back because of the almost unbearable pleasure he was giving her. Not only did she not want to hurt him, she could not leave incriminating marks on his back. She thrust her hips up at him digging her fingers into his shoulder blades.

Naruto stared down at her, his eyes meeting her emerald green ones. The love he saw there stimulated him as much as looking at her naked body. Calling her name, he rocked hips against hers until she was writhing beneath him and moaning his name as she climaxed. He lurched forward as her interior muscles squeezed and released him rhythmically. He discharged into her with a forceful ejaculation releasing the emotional ache from his heart as the physical ache subsided from between his thighs.

"I love you," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too," he returned the heartfelt sentiment. He kissed her with a long, slow, gentle kiss.

"How can I be yours? I want to be with you. It hurts so much to be this way," she sobbed, the tears leaking from the outer corner of her eyes.

How could they stay like this forever? It was beginning to hurt more and more each time they were together simply because they knew they would have to part. How could it ever be possible for them to be together? How much longer could it possibly last like this? There were too many questions and not enough answers. One of these days, he would find a way to save her and himself from their private hell. He would make it possible for them to be together. Somehow.


	4. The Good, the Bad, and the Worst

The Good, the Bad, and the Worst

Aiko woke up alone. No surprise there. Some things cannot be helped. Her hand moved across his side of the bed that still held the impression of where his body had laid on the mattress. She smiled thinking she could still feel his warmth on the sheets. Kicking off the covers, she did not bother getting dressed before walking to the kitchen. Her eyes glanced out of the French doors to take in the ocean view and saw something sexy and blond. She blinked in confusion at first, unable to comprehend what she was seeing: a naked Naruto was standing on the deck casually surveying the beach.

"Oh, damn," she gasped out loud to herself as her eyes meandered over his body from head to toe.

Opening the doors, Aiko walked out to him, sliding her arms around his waist. She felt him jump under her unexpected touch. It made her smile to know she had startled him as much as he had her by sneaking up on her at times. Pressing her cheek to his back, she luxuriated in the softness of his sun warmed golden skin against hers.

"Why are you still here? We don't want to get caught," she reminded him, moving back when started to turn around.

"We won't. Sakura is gone on a girls' weekend trip. I have another day with you," he said, kissing her briefly before holding her to his body.

"Another day," she repeated wistfully. They had not had more than a few desperate hours with each other for so long that a day would feel like an eternity. She wished she had known last night because she would not have wasted precious hours with him by falling asleep.

"Are you ready to have a really good morning?" he asked, kissing her neck which made her shiver with sexual delight.

"Oh, yes, please," she almost begged, leaning her head back to offer him more of her sensitive flesh to kiss. She squealed and giggled when he picked her up with his hands cupping her behind. "Where do you want me?"

"I'll just take you like this," he answered, leaning back against the banister of the deck as he lifted her up slightly to enter her.

Aiko was completely at his mercy and there was no where she would rather be. Speed, force, intensity – it was all up to him. She held on to him, kissing his lips and face as he moved her up and down on him. The summer sun heated their bodies making them sweat. Her body slid over his in a sensual glide making it easier to manhandle her into an orgasm. Soon they were a slick hot mess inside and out from all of the bodily fluids being exchanged.

"How about a swim to cool off?" she asked, leaning her head against his chest while he carefully set her down on her feet.

"Last one there has to cook breakfast!" Naruto yelled, pushing her away and running down the steps to the sand.

"Hey! Cheater!"

"You're the better cook!"

"That's true," she mumbled, racing after him.

Going across the sand, she actually got ahead of him because she was lighter and did not sink down as much. In the end, they hit the water at the same time, plunging beneath the cold waves locked in each other's arms. They came to the top laughing hysterically before they shared a kiss. It was so incredible that they had been given this opportunity. They played like kids in the water, ridiculously giddy with the excitement of being together.

For the next twenty-four hours, Aiko and Naruto ate, played, slept, and most of all, made love at their own leisure. The next day as the reality of the inevitable separation loomed ahead of them, they both grew more quiet and reserved. Near the end, no words were passed between as they held each other and shared many kisses in preparation to leave.

Aiko's phone rang and her eyes met Naruto's for a brief glance before she got up to answer it. Why had she left her phone in the living room?

"Are you ready to come home?" Sasori asked.

"Yes," she answered. Such a lie, but she had no choice.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes."

Aiko hung up, walking back to the empty bedroom. She shivered although the breeze that blew in through the open French doors was warm. Her heart ached as it bled loneliness and hurt within her chest. Her lover was already gone again.

* * *

Weeks had passed without seeing Naruto or even her husband. Sasuke had been busy overseas making business deals.

Aiko was at the firing range unleashing tension on the paper target she was destroying with her last birthday present from Sasuke. It was a more of show piece since it was a gold plated Beretta with inlayed pearl handles, but she preferred to make use of its original purpose. One thing she and her husband could agree upon was that if something serves no purpose besides beauty it was utterly useless. It was a good thing she had her other functions that made her useful to him.

Sasori changed out the shredded target while she reloaded her pistol. He was such a good bodyguard who was always by her side. His dark brown eyes focused on something past her momentarily. Raising his chin, he alerted her that someone was walking up behind her.

Aiko was thankful for the subtle cue he had given her since she could not hear anyone entering the room with her noise cancelling headphones on. She still gasped when a male body pressed against the back of hers with his arms sliding alongside hers. The big gold ring on his middle finger with the capital U on it told her that it was her husband. She felt his lips on her neck as he steadied her grip and aimed the gun. Her body recoiled into his but they simply swayed back and forth a bit as they unloaded the gun into the paper. A big hole had been torn in the target where the heart would be. A wry grin curled her lips because that is how she felt most of the time; like she had been shot through the heart.

"You're home," she stated without turning to greet him.

"I came straight from the airport to you. I've missed you," he said after pulling off the headphones she was wearing.

Aiko did not respond. She changed clips in her gun and prepared to shoot again.

"Do you ever think about shooting me?" Sasuke asked, turning her around to face him. His hands languidly slid over her curves enjoying the feel of her.

"Would you like for me to?" she responded, pressing the barrel against his chin. It was still warm from its recent firing. Her eyes looked into his that were now half lidded with sexual excitement. Freak. He had some _special_ tendencies. She bit her lower lip as his hands moved back up her body to cup her breasts. His thumbs rubbed across her hardened nipples, flooding her with desire.

"It excites you doesn't it?" He grabbed her hand holding the gun, pressing it harder into his chin while he rubbed the hardness below his waist across her belly.

Aiko chewed on her lip to hold back a moan. It was difficult not to feel something. Yes, it excited her. Dammit. She gasped when moved against her with his hips while gazing into her eyes. Her finger was still resting on the trigger, and it was frightening her the way he kept tightening his grip on her hand. Fear can sometimes stir up as much excitement as pain. He loved causing both.

"Raise your skirt and take off your panties," he instructed her in a low voice.

"Sasuke, stop. Not here," she returned, looking around apprehensively. She was sure Sasori had taken a hint and exited the room long ago.

"Do it," he commanded, his hot breath tickling her ear.

"Sasuke," she whispered, when he pushed her against the table and began forcefully dry humping her. She tried to pull away to do as he had asked, but he refused to let her hand go. "I need my hand."

"Just use one hand," he told her, reaching down with his other hand to grab her skirt and pull it up. "I'll help you. I want you."

Aiko pressed her lips to his, sliding her hand under her skirt to seize the top band of her panties. She pushed it down, pulling her skirt up around her waist as he pushed her panties down to the floor with his dress shoe clad foot.

"My turn," he said, helping her to free himself from his dress pants. That brutal strength of his was coming in handy as he lifted her up onto the table with one hand cupped around her behind while the other hand continued to hold her hand around the gun.

Aiko opened her legs wide, crying out when he forcefully pushed himself into her with one hard shove. She held onto him, closing her eyes to at least mentally displace herself from this situation. The metal from the gun bit into her chest, reminding her that her finger was still on the trigger. Just one little flinch and it would be all over. It would be a damn mess and she would be covered with brain matter and blood but she would be free.

"Open your eyes, Aiko," Sasuke ordered, snatching the gun from her hand and laying it on the table beside her. He placed his hands on either side of her head, making her look at him. "Look at me. I want it to be me you think about during sex, not _him_."

"What? Who?" she asked, screeching in pain when he shoved in too deep, too fast.

"Don't pull that shit with me," he growled through his teeth, pulling her hair. "You know damn well who I mean."

"Is it me _you_ really want?" she demanded, sinking her fingernails into his neck to return some of the pain. He was still wearing his dress shirt and coat so it was the only flesh accessible besides his face. Clawing his face would result in a horrible punishment for her. The neck still might require severe retribution from him, but it was definitely less risky.

"Oh, god, you bitch," he panted, insistently crushing his lips to hers. "You feel so damn good."

If Aiko were a masochist she could return the compliment. Instead she glared at him fiercely while he stubbornly maintained eye contact with her as he furiously thrust into her.

"Have you ever once considered giving tenderness a try?" she asked, daring to slap his face. She was sure he was so far into the moment he would enjoy it.

"Oh, Aiko, " he moaned, arching into her. "Sorry, baby, but I can't get off that way."

Aiko obstinately bit her lip refusing to cry out from the agony. She made up her mind that she would bite through her lip before she would allow him the enjoyment of hearing her pain. Her eyes closed to avoid seeing him experience his climax; feeling it and hearing it was distressing enough.

"Thanks sweetheart," he told her afterward, kissing her. He immediately walked away from her to go straight to the shower.

Aiko sat on the table not allowing the tears to fall. Her eyes moved to the gun lying at her hip. Picking it up, she pressed it to her chin. How long would it take her to get the nerve to pull the trigger on herself? One…two…three…

"Aiko, no," Sasori said softly, taking hold of her hands. He was a very good bodyguard and watch dog.

Aiko opened her tear filled eyes and stared at him. She watched his eyes as he concentrated on carefully peeling her finger from the trigger of the loaded and cocked weapon. They both sighed heavily for different reasons when he put the gun down next to her; she was drowning in despair and he was relieved she did not kill herself. She took his hand so he could assist her down from the table. Her knees abruptly weakened upon standing almost sending her to the floor. She felt her body being swept up into his arms to carry her.

"Where do you want me to take you?" he inquired.

"Take me to the beach house. I won't stay here," she answered.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Aiko was lying in the bed staring at the ceiling when she heard the familiar scratching sound on the roof tiles. She closed her eyes and waited. Her body jumped as if a bomb had exploded next to her when the soft click of the door opening met her ears. Pretending to be asleep as he approached, she waited eagerly for her lover's kiss. She sighed as his soft lips covered hers and he pulled her to a sitting position to hold her in his arms while kissing her. Her fingers slid into his hair, drawing his lips tighter against hers. She was disappointed when he tore his lips away and lay his head against her shoulder.

"Naruto," she gasped when she felt his body shuddering beneath her hands. "What is it?"

Aiko pushed him back to see his face. Her heart lurched in her chest when she saw the tears streaming down his cheeks. She pulled his head back down to her shoulder, sliding her arms around his waist. It had been years since she had seen him this upset and that was when she had informed him of her arranged marriage to Sasuke. She slowly rocked him back and forth in an attempt to comfort him. Kissing his forehead, she wiped the tears from his face with her hand.

"Tell me what happened," she said, kissing his cheek then rubbing hers against it.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I just need you," he said a hoarse voice, pressing his hands against her breasts as he kissed her neck.

Aiko would hate to admit it, but she did not want to have sex because she still hurt from her rough encounter with her husband. The harsh treatment after Sasuke's absence of several weeks had been torture to her body. She would not dare to confess to Naruto what happened because she would be afraid he would go after Sasuke. She had never told him anything about the occasional cruelty she endured at the hands of her husband. It was sporadic enough that she had even convinced herself at times that it would never happen again, but eventually it always did.

"Talk to me," she murmured, forcing him to make eye contact with her. What was he avoiding? How bad can it be? Her eyes moved to down to his throat, observing his Adam's apple pitching up and down as he swallowed convulsively from nervousness.

"Sakura's pregnant."

Oh, it's that bad.

Aiko was attempting to choke back the emotions lodged in her throat. Her brain went completely numb for a moment and unadulterated panic threatened to overwhelm her. She stood up from the bed, walking out onto the balcony so the fresh ocean breeze would clear her head. She closed her eyes when she felt Naruto's arms slide around her waist.

"What do we do?" he asked, holding her close to him.

"Are you sure she's really pregnant? Is she lying?"

"That thought had occurred to me. If she is pregnant, is the baby even mine?"

Only time would reveal the truth. Things were getting even more complicated. Time was something they were quickly running out of.


	5. Is She or Isn't She?

Is She or Isn't She?

It had been three weeks since receiving the incomprehensible news of Sakura's pregnancy. Naruto sat at the table by himself thumbing through papers for the board meeting later today. He raised his eyes to watch his disheveled pink haired wife stumble into the kitchen on a straight path to the coffee pot. He knew she was one of those "don't talk to me before I've had my coffee" type morning people, but he was going to chance her hostility anyway. There was something he needed to know.

"Can I go with you to your doctor's appointment today?" Naruto asked as she noisily stirred her coffee. "Should you be drinking that? Isn't caffeine bad for the baby?" He ignored the hateful glare directed at him.

"I'd rather you didn't. It's just boring stuff. Blood tests and all that," she said, tapping her spoon against the side of her cup with loud clinks.

"Oh, I thought you were supposed to have an ultrasound and listen to the heartbeat today," he stated matter of factly, almost amused by her narrow eyed glare of aggravation. He had been researching and reading quite a bit about pregnancy lately. His suspicions were growing as to if she was even pregnant at all.

"I want to go by myself okay!" she screeched, throwing the spoon into the sink to make even more racket before she stalked off in a huff.

Interesting reaction. Someone does not seem to be a happy alleged mother-to-be. How could she think he would not be a father who wanted to be involved with his child from pregnancy on? She knew him better than that. Chewing on his thumb, he wondered how to get to the bottom of this. Right now biding his time seemed to be the only option.

* * *

Naruto observed his wife dressing, staring at her belly. He noted that her belly was disturbingly flat, practically concave, for her to be twenty weeks along and at the halfway mark of the pregnancy. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong here. He turned his attention back to tying his dress shoes. He had not seen Aiko anywhere since that night at the beach house. He had returned there many times in hopes of seeing her, but the house was always empty. Anxiety plagued him every day that she had decided to end their relationship because of his wife's as of yet unproven pregnancy, and he did not know what to do. He had not been allowed to attend any doctor's office visits and had not seen any ultrasound pictures. He should see Aiko tonight at the annual Christmas party for the local businessmen's club. She would have to be there; her husband was one of the founding members.

* * *

Aiko was milling about the room, greeting guests and smiling pleasantly although she felt like dying. It had been four months since she had seen Naruto, and it was difficult not to feel antsy and nervous tonight. She had been purposely avoiding him until Sakura's pregnancy was confirmed. It was not within her to break up a family. To break up a loveless marriage was one thing , but a family involving an innocent child? That was something different entirely. There was no way she would be the cause of problems there no matter how much she loved him.

Aiko gasped, stopping in her tracks when her favorite blonde entered the room. She gulped as her husband went to him to speak to him. Her eyes remained on the two of them as they greeted each other with a tense cordiality. She watched as her husband kissed Sakura on the cheek. The woman was awfully thin and svelte looking in her body skimming black dress to be five months pregnant. Clearing her throat and holding her head high, Aiko continued to work her away around the room welcoming prominent businessmen and their wives to the party. It was paramount that she maintained her composure since she was one of the hostesses of tonight's party.

"Aiko," Sasuke called, waving her over.

What the hell? What could he possibly want? Aiko found it highly disturbing that he wanted her to come to him while Naruto and Sakura still stood there talking to him.

"Honey, guess what?" Sasuke began, an evil glint in his eye.

'What is he up to?' she wondered, pasting a pleasant false smile on her face.

"Sakura and Naruto are going to have a baby," he announced, observing her carefully for a reaction.

Aiko felt jealousy and anger squeeze her heart. It was as if all of the air had been forced out of her lungs and she could no longer breathe. She could not imagine how she would react if she did not already know. Sasuke throwing it in her face with sadistic glee hurt like hell. Somehow, she kept the smile in place and even thought of a courteous response.

"Oh, how wonderful. You must be so happy," she said, looking at them both but avoiding Naruto's eyes. She hoped he wiped that shocked look off his face soon before Sasuke noticed. "How far along are you?"

"Twenty weeks," Mrs. Uzumaki proudly responded, patting her nonexistent belly.

"Really? That far? Why, that's halfway through," Aiko remarked with exaggerated niceness. She knew she should stop talking, but she could not help herself. "Shouldn't you be showing by now? At least a small baby bump? Is everything okay with your pregnancy?"

Sakura immediately glowered in aggravation at the nosy, overly friendly redhead. "My doctor says I'm one of the lucky ones. He believes I won't start showing until close to the end. He says I'll just all of a sudden pop right out there."

"Yes. I bet," Mrs. Uchiha returned with a tight, insincere smile. Her attitude had eroded fast so it was time for her to make a quick exit. "If you'll excuse me, I have other guests to speak to. Welcome and please enjoy your evening."

Aiko kissed her husband on the cheek which seemed to stun all of them, even him. With one last glance at her pink haired nemesis and offering a small bow of courtesy, she left their company. 'Uh, god, what a night this will be. Merry Christmas to me,' she grumbled in her mind.

After two hours of faking a smile and simulating joyous laughter, Aiko excused herself to go to the restroom. With a groan to release pent up frustration, she walked down the hall very slowly. She was in no big hurry to have to return to the party and continue being an emotional fraud. Leaning against the wall, she slid down to place her forehead on her knee. It was tiring work being a big counterfeit.

"Hey, would you like a like a kiss pretty lady?"

Aiko's head snapped up to see Naruto standing in front of her holding a sprig of mistletoe. "Are you insane? What if someone catches us?"

"Then let's go hide somewhere. I need to talk to you," he said, holding out his hand to her. He pulled her up and was promptly dragged down the hall to the women's restroom. "Now, who's crazy?"

"Shut up!" she snapped, pushing open the door of the stall in front of her. She continued down the row, checking to see if anyone was in the bathroom. Pulling him into the last stall, she closed and locked the door.

"This is romantic," he muttered sarcastically.

"It's not supposed to be you idiot. What are you thinking?" she demanded to be quieted by his lips covering hers.

"I've missed you," Naruto murmured, placing his hand on her neck to pull her to him for a longer kiss.

"Stop that. This isn't talking," she groused, issuing a sound of agitation when his lips contacted hers again. It had been four months since she had touched him last so her resolve was quickly crumbling from the sweet kisses he continued to give her.

"Then let's talk later," he whispered, kissing her once more with intensity and passion. His tongue slid between her lips to touch hers. He moaned when he tasted the wine on her tongue although all he needed to intoxicate him was her kiss alone.

"Oh, god, I hate how I love you sometimes," she growled, pushing him against the wall to ravish his mouth with the hunger she had been holding back.

"I love how you love me," he rejoined, grabbing her behind as she kissed him hard and passionately. He loved it when she was aggressive because she was usually so gentle and compliant. It turned him on terribly. He tore his lips from hers when he felt her struggling with the button and zipper on his pants.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he stammered, pressing his hands against her breasts. Far be it from him to stop her. He groaned loudly when her hand grasped his hard, throbbing member. He wanted her.

"Naruto," she gasped, sliding her arms around his neck when he seized her by the thighs and picked her up.

It shocked him when her dress slid apart. The floor length skirt of her dress was actually slit up to her thigh but he had not noticed earlier. Naruto pushed the thin strip of material covering her womanhood to the side and pushed into her. He covered her mouth with his to stifle both of their moans of pleasure. He would like to take his time to pleasure her, but they would have to hurry to avoid getting caught in their unexpected and oh so sweet tryst.

"I love you, Naruto," she whispered in his ear, holding on to him with her strong legs as he pressed her into the wall with each pleasing thrust.

"Aiko, I can't live without you. I need you," he mumbled, against her neck.

"I'll always be yours," she told him, sliding her fingers through his hair. She bit the back of her hand to keep from crying out in pleasure.

They were close to a simultaneous climax when they heard the door open with a shrill squeak. They slapped their hands over each other's mouth and stopped moving to listen to the slow shuffling steps of the person who had entered.

Naruto strained not to move inside of her while she clenched him with her interior muscles. He glared at her as she continued stroking him by using those muscles. It was difficult to be angry with her when she appeared to be amused. It felt so damn good he could not stop himself from moving his hips. He moaned against her hand and it was louder than he intended which made him stop his hips. By this time, he could feel her whole body vibrating from desire and laughter that begged to be released.

A toilet flushed and the shuffling footsteps echoed off the tiles as the woman moved to the sink to wash her hands. They heard the mechanical whir of the automatic paper towel dispenser and waited impatiently for the person to be gone. They both stiffened and began to sweat when they heard a harsh tisking sound.

"Damn degenerates," the woman grumbled grouchily. "Can't you wait and get a hotel room? I know you have the money! Damn rich people."

Apparently the grumpy senior citizen was not member of their party. She could possibly be the janitor waiting for all the snotty elitists to go home so she could clean up their mess and rest her weary bones. The door squeaked again and slammed shut, notifying them of her departure.

The couple in the compromising position began to giggle to release the anxiety that had built up over nearly getting caught.

"Hurry, my darling. I don't think we will be so lucky a second time," Aiko said, kissing him as he thrust into her.

They completed their unforeseen and very pleasurable liaison with quite satisfying results. After swiftly pulling themselves back together, Aiko checked outside for anyone coming down the hall. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the bathroom door. Sharing one more giggle and a parting kiss, they separated and walked on opposites sides of the hall just in case anyone left the meeting room.

"I don't think Sakura's really pregnant. Be patient, Aiko. I'll find a way for us," Naruto said, pausing at the door. "I'll find a way for us to be together."

Aiko watched him walk inside and decided to wait a few minutes before returning. She hoped he was right – about everything.


	6. Oh, Daddy!

Oh, Daddy!

Naruto sat at his desk with his fingers steepled under his chin deep in thought. He had called Sakura's bluff on New Year's Eve. It was her fault really because she was indulging in champagne. A heated and passionate argument had ensued when he mentioned she should not be drinking alcohol. Being plastered and angry was a powerful mix that equaled into a truth serum of sorts.

"_I'm not of even pregnant, you nagging asshole!" she screeched in frustration. Her eyes flew open as did her hand holding the glass of champagne when she instantly became aware of her drunken confession. The glass shattered between her feet, sloshing champagne onto her insanely expensive designer shoes that she had worn for the first time tonight._

"_Thank you, my dear. I appreciate your honesty," he stated cheerfully, finishing off his glass of champagne with a smile. He pushed the stem of his glass into her still outstretched hand. After shoving his hands into his pockets, he strolled out of the party whistling a happy tune despite the gawking stares of their guests._

Naruto smiled with the recollection that had occurred only two days ago. Finally, he was going to have a VERY happy New Year. He grabbed the receiver of the office phone on his desk, dialing Shikamaru's extension.

"I need you to come to my office. You're the greatest strategist I've ever known. I need a plan," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"O-okay. But the business is doing great. Our stocks just increased and – "

"It's not about the business," he assured his Chief Financial Officer. "This is personal."

"Oh. I'll be right there," Shikamaru responded, hanging up the phone.

When Shikamaru arrived in the office, his boss was pacing behind his desk. He worried about him these days. It had been years since he had been carefree and lighthearted, but lately Naruto had been downright morose and miserable. It was troubling to him to see his friend like this.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyebrows drawing together when the blonde did not stop pacing nervously.

"Will you close and lock the door? Then sit down. This will take a while," he said, waiting for his friend to do what he asked. He began talking again when Shikamaru sat down. "I need you to start depositing money into an offshore account. Use my name and my father's last name."

"What's going on?" he inquired, receiving a blank stare from his boss.

"I can't tell you," he rejoined resolutely.

"Does it have something to do with Aiko Uchiha?" He smiled when his boss's big eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Oh, you didn't know I knew did you? I'm your best friend, I handle all of your business and personal finances, you've trusted me with your life and livelihood yet you didn't think you could trust me with that?"

"I-I'm sorry," Naruto stuttered, dropping into his chair heavily. "I just didn't want anything to possibly cause us to get caught. But I can't take it any longer. I can't stand hiding how I feel. I'm tired of being stuck with Sakura and her manipulation and lies. I'm tired of seeing Aiko with that criminal knowing her life is in danger every day. I have to be with her. I love her."

"I know. You have loved her since we were kids. These damned arranged marriages got in the way. I thought people quit doing that in the twentieth century," he grumbled looking at the man in apparent despair across the desk. "I know you've been seeing her the last several years. But I also know the two of you well so it wouldn't be hard for me to guess. "

"Are you going to help me?"

"Of course I am."

* * *

Aiko was sitting on the back deck of the beach house staring at the ocean that glimmered like liquid silver from the reflection of the round full moon on its surface. She hoped he came tonight and had not given up on her. It had been several weeks since she had come here because Sasuke was keeping her busy with dinner parties and all sorts of outings with the wives of his business associates. She had been granted a reprieve to allow her to get some rest. Hopefully she would also get to see her lover that she missed so much.

Listening to the waves calmed her more than any tranquilizer in the world could. She was feeling drowsy. She had not been lying to her husband when she had begged for some much needed rest. Those wives loved to drink and stay up all night and do all sorts of shocking things in between. She wondered if Sasuke would have been so eager for her to spend time with them if he knew what they really did. The night they all went to strip club had been a real eye opener into the secret lives of those women. She shivered and yawned. Snuggling further into the thick blanket wrapped around her, she promised herself she would only close her eyes for a minute.

* * *

Naruto noiselessly dropped down onto the deck from the roof. He always went over the roof because the house was built into the side of the short cliff and it was easier to go up and over the house than to scale the cliff and cross the beach. There was a pile of blankets in one of the chairs that seemed to breathe. He smiled when he heard the distinct sigh of the woman he loved. He knew that sound quite well along with her shrieks and giggles and the way she called out his name when she – .

"Naruto," Aiko mumbled in her sleep, attempting and failing to find a comfortable position in the chair.

Naruto went to her, picking her up as best as he could to take her into the house. He struggled with the unwieldy bundle of blankets and woman, somehow getting her to the bedroom.

"Hmmm…now what?" he asked himself, staring down at her rolled up like a caterpillar. "Maybe I can unwrap you like a present. You're definitely a gift to me."

Aiko moaned and mumbled his name again when he pulled the blanket from under her, shifting her as he untwisted it from around her upper body. His fingers grazed her breasts in the silky black nightgown as he pushed apart the blanket to expose her body. He saw that she was dressed in nothing but the short black nightgown that barely reached her thighs. What the hell was she doing outside dressed like that even if she was in a blanket?

"Aiko," he called softly, sitting on the bed next to her. He kissed her forehead and her cheeks which brought a smile to her face and another sigh from her lips. "Sweetheart, please wake up."

Aiko was having the most wonderful dream that Naruto was with her. The dream was so vivid, she could feel him touching her body. She could almost hear him calling her name. Drifting slowly from the dream world to the real world, the distinct feeling of a hand on her breast and unmistakable sensation of her lover's kiss startled her the rest of the way into wakefulness. She enclosed his neck with her arms, pressing her body into his that lay beside her.

"Hi, sleeping beauty," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "It's about time you woke up."

"I'm sorry. The last few weeks have been a party nightmare," she groaned tiredly, snuggling into him with her arm draped loosely across his waist.

"Oh, do tell," he encouraged her with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Oh, yeah. One night we even went to a strip club," she informed him, feeling his body stiffen next to hers. "Did you know that the wives of crime bosses get special privileges? Not only did we get to touch the dancers, we could also have sex with them?"

"Did you – "

"No. Of course not. Don't be silly. I hid in the outer lounge all by myself."

Naruto pulled her mouth to his, kissing her gently. Of course she wouldn't. His wife on the other hand… But who cares about that right now? Turning his attention back to the woman, quite literally at hand, he took advantage of it and placed his hand over her breast again. He rubbed his thumb over the nipple, sliding his tongue between her lips when she moaned into his mouth.

Aiko slid her hand under his t-shirt, feeling his abdominal muscles contract as her fingernails scraped over them. She returned the favor to him, rubbing her thumb across his nipple on his hard pectoral muscle. Her smile interrupted their kiss when he shuddered and moaned after she stroked across it again.

"I forgot how sensitive you were to that," she teased, pulling up his shirt.

"Aiko, don't. Oh, my god," he gasped, grabbing her head when her tongue licked across the stimulated flesh.

Aiko pushed him over on his back, straddling his hips. She licked the other nipple this time, feeling his body shake under her. It excited her to know she was having this much of an effect on him. Sucking gently on the rigid little nub, her hand slid down his abdomen to something else hard. Her fingers slid between his belly and the loose waist of his jeans making him writhe beneath her as they neared his manhood.

"Aiko!" he exclaimed and jumped when her hand seized him and squeezed carefully. "Oooh, damn woman! What has gotten into you?"

"I know what _hasn't_ gotten in to me," she returned, unbuttoning and unzipping the jeans with her other hand.

"So that's your problem?" He pushed his pants down with her help.

"Uh-huh," she responded, pulling off her almost nonexistent underwear. She often pondered what the point was to stringy little bikinis like that.

"I can fix that," he told her, watching her position him beneath her.

"Please do," she murmured, lowering herself onto him.

Naruto observed her beautiful face as she rode him like a champion and pleasured them both. He was impressed with her new found sense of boldness and aggressiveness; she was going to need it. Was there a chance she would say no and think he was crazy when he presented his plan to her? Hearing her yell his name in ecstasy, he doubted that. When their short but fabulously consummated physical reunion was over, he lay with her in his arms rubbing her silky arm and enjoying the texture of her skin under his fingertips. He had not felt this nervous around her since he asked her out for their first date when they were teenagers.

"Do you love me?" he asked, kissing her forehead. He was avoiding the point.

"You know I do," she answered, stroking his chest tenderly. She kissed his neck when goose bumps appeared over his smooth skin.

"Will you run away with me? Be mine just like we always planned?" he inquired, pulling her against him.

"Yeah," she giggled, thinking he was joking. "I won't even pack a bag. We'll run away together tonight."

"I'm serious, Aiko. I want to be with you. I don't want to wait anymore. What the hell are we waiting for? Things won't change. We have to make them change," he said with such fire and earnestness in his voice it made her sit up to stare at him. He sat up next to her, touching her face as she gaped at him, blinking her sparkling emerald eyes.

"You're serious?"

"Yes, very serious. I have to be with you."

"How? How are we going to do this? If we were going to run away to be together, we should have done it when we were eighteen and I was first betrothed to Sasuke. We're not kids anymore," she snapped, getting off the bed.

"I thought you'd be happy. Why are you so upset? You don't want to be with me?" he inquired, standing up to walk to her. He stopped when he saw her shoulders begin jerking and her head drop forward. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm scared. Do you really think he'll let me go? Sasuke will track me down to the ends of the earth and kill me when he finds me. He will kill you too. Do you really think it will bother him? We're nothing to him. He killed his own brother for god's sake!" she wailed, whirling around to face him. She grunted with surprise when she was pulled into Naruto's hard chest.

"You don't think I know that? You don't think I can protect you?"

"Yes, I believe you can. It's just that –"

"It's just that your fear of him is greater than your love for me."

Aiko slapped him – hard. The tears were still falling from her eyes when his shocked blue eyes met hers. "I'm pregnant," she said, staring at the floor.

"Who's is it?" he asked.

Aiko resisted the urge to slap him again. It was a valid question. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she raised her eyes back to his. "I'm six weeks pregnant. Where were you six weeks ago?"

Naruto recalled with a smile touching his lips that he was locked in a bathroom stall with her.

"How do you know it isn't Sasuke's?" he questioned her. Needless to say, the announcement of pregnancy automatically raised his suspicions.

"We just had sex two weeks ago for the first time in three months. Do the math."

"Three months? What the hell?"

"Concentrate on the other part! The only man I had sex with in three months was you. I'm six weeks pregnant. It's yours, Naruto."

"Does Sasuke know?"

"What do you think?" she shot back sarcastically.

"Yeah. That would be stupid," he agreed, dropping down on the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to think. It doesn't change anything but only adds urgency to the plans.

"Now what?"

"We're about to get the hell out of here and be together. Listen carefully…"


	7. Their Way Out

Their Way Out

Aiko was nervous. She trusted Naruto and Shikamaru but she still had misgivings about their idea. It had sounded like something from a bad B-movie when they had presented the plan to her. But she listened and was determined to do her part to make it work. She had chosen the ridiculously expensive Italian sports car to drive. Anxiety made her stomach twist and turn as much as the road she was driving on. The road led to the beach house. Coming to the hairpin turn everyone referred to as Breakneck Point, she never even slowed down. The tires smoked and squealed as she swung around the turn at forty five miles an hour leaving deep black marks on the pavement. Her body lurched as the car contacted the guardrail. The sound of screeching metal set her teeth on edge from the whole right side of the car being totally destroyed by riding along the guardrail. She barely missed hitting the two men standing on the sandy shoulder as she slammed on brakes and slid toward the end of the precipice, stopping just a few yards from the edge that was not protected by a guardrail where she would have went over the cliff.

Aiko screamed when her door was snatched open, and she was jerked out of the car. She grunted when she was pulled into a hard chest that was like face planting against a wall. The arms around her held her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"Aiko! You scared the hell out of me!" Naruto yelled, not letting her go.

"Well, we're supposed to make it look like an accident right?" she asked, tapping him on the chest with her fist as her lungs struggled for air. She breathed in a loud wheezing gasp when he relaxed his hold on her.

"Yes. _Look_ like an accident, not be an accident," Shikamaru stated, walking past her with a fifty pound block of ice. He leaned into the car and the engine roared as he laid the ice on the gas pedal while the car was still in park. "Stand back."

Naruto pulled Aiko back to where their car was parked on the road so it would not leave any tracks. He pulled her head against him as they observed what happened next. Shikamaru leaned into the car to push it into gear before jumping back so hurriedly he fell on his behind. A sore butt was better than being dead from getting caught by the car and dragged over the cliff. The wheels continued to spin in the sand for a moment before gaining traction and shooting forward to disappear into the dark night. An eerie silence ensued as they waited for the car to fall into the ravine below. The ear splitting crash made them all jump as it hit the bottom then noisily settled into the ground with an awful creaking and screaming of metal.

"Let's go," Shikamaru announced, walking past them to get to the car.

Naruto pulled the stunned Aiko behind him, shoving her into the back seat. There was a purse waiting there for her because hers had gone over the cliff with the car. It contained a passport and papers for a while new identity along with an airplane ticket and keys to their new home on a tourist island in the Atlantic Ocean. They had picked a tourist destination instead of a secluded place with the intention that it being in a busy and inhabited resort town, it would be the last place anyone would look. She changed into the clothes they had there for her; jeans and plain white button down shirt along with sensible flat shoes instead of her customary high heels. Donning the wig of shoulder length brown hair to cover her memorable auburn locks, she completed her disguise for her airplane ride to their new home.

"The house is already stocked with everything you need. There's a whole new wardrobe and even food in the refrigerator. Give me a few weeks and I'll be there," Naruto assured her, leaning over the front seat to kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you too," she returned, feeling as if her insides were shaking from the adrenaline flooding her system. She was frightened, happy, anxious, ecstatic, and several other strong and conflicting emotions all at the same time. They were finally going to be together after all of these years. She laid her hand on her tummy thinking about the baby she carried inside.

"We have to say good-bye here. You'll take a cab to the airport. Here," he said, handing her a huge wad of cash when they stopped at the curb to let her out. "Be careful."

Aiko took the money, holding his hand for a second while looking into his worried deep blue eyes. She leaned forward to get one more kiss. "I'll be fine. See you soon."

* * *

"Mrs. Namikaze?" the flight attendant called her, shaking her shoulder gently.

'Mrs. Namikaze? Oh, yeah that's me! Mrs. Kushina Namikaze,' she thought to herself, rousing out of her sleep.

"Mrs. Namikaze, we'll be landing soon. Please get your seatbelt on," the flight attendant requested with a syrupy sweet voice and a plastic smile.

Aiko rubbed her eyes before pretending to fix her hair to make sure her wig was on straight. She had slept through all of the flight being sure she had passed out before they were even off of the ground. Sleep had not come easy lately and after the stress and anxiety of last night, exhaustion had taken its toll. She buckled her safety belt and held her purse in her lap, nervously fiddling with the buckle. At least she would not have to wait for luggage; that was weird. After disembarking the plane and enduring the nerve wrecking process of getting through customs, she hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of her new home.

"This is it?" she asked, when he stopped in front a sunny yellow stucco beach front home. Of course he would by a home right on the beach since he knew how she loved it.

"This is it, ma'am," he responded, taking the money from her.

Aiko took out her keys and rushed to the front door. The house was located in a secluded spot at the end of the sandy beach road. Coconut and palm trees filled the front yard and the sea was their backyard. It was a small, plain little beach bungalow but to her it was the most extravagant mansion she had ever seen. It was her home with Naruto. Her heart ached a little and beat faster with the thought of him. She could hardly wait until he joined her.

* * *

The next few weeks were spent familiarizing herself with the island and the locals. She learned the best stores to shop for food and other essentials. She became friends with her neighbor who was an older man with long white hair and a penchant for dirty jokes and horrible Hawaiian shirts. His coarse jokes did not bother her because he made her laugh. He was also a writer who had taken refuge in the peace and quiet of the island to be able to write his novels.

"I talked to your husband on the few occasions he came here to the house. He asked me to keep an eye on you," Jiraiya told her one night over dinner. "When will he be arriving?"

"In a few days, I miss him so much," she said wistfully, putting down her fork because she had suddenly lost her appetite.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – "

"It's okay. I just miss him."

Aiko got up from the table walking to the glass sliding doors that overlooked the ocean front back yard. _Your husband_, Jiraiya had said. She wished. Maybe…just maybe he could be her husband now. Sighing deeply, she absentmindedly rubbed her belly.

"Are you going to have a baby?" he asked, standing next to her with his hands in the pockets of his customary khaki cargo shorts. For him to a local resident, he blended in nicely with the tourists.

Aiko turned to look at the man standing next to her. Maybe Naruto should dress…nah! He will blend in just fine somehow. "Yes, I am."

"Well, congratulations, little Missy. Is that why you two moved here? To get away from the big city and find some place safe to raise your child?"

Something like that. "Yes. Yes it is. I've always loved the beach so he picked here. It's absolutely beautiful. The only way I could be happier is when he gets here."

"Well, um, I just wanted to ask, maybe…possibly…if it's okay…" he rambled nervously.

Aiko crossed her arms over her chest wondering what the man was trying to say.

"Well, a child needs a grandfather and if you would like to adopt one, I'm up for grabs," he said, scratching the back of his head self-consciously.

Aiko could not help but giggle at the man. It was so sweet and cute how he nervously volunteered to be a substitute grandfather since they would have no family here. "Sure," she chuckled, watching him visibly relax. "I'd like that."

Aiko's father had been dead since she was a child, and Naruto's father died soon after Naruto was made CEO of the company so their child would have been without a grandfather anyway. In an attempt to make her neighbor's day, she told him, "You can be grandpa on one condition."

"What's that?" he asked, the smile falling from his face.

"I get to call you, Dad," she giggled as a big toothy grin spread across his face.

"Sure. I can handle that."

* * *

Aiko was halfheartedly listening to the morning news while cleaning the house. Her ears picked up on the mention of the name 'Naruto Uzumaki' so she made her way to the living room. Sitting down on the couch, she listened as the newscaster related the story of the crash of Naruto's personal twin engine airplane that he was piloting himself. They did not disclose the location of the crash site. She bit her lower lip nervously. God. Their 'accidental deaths' were so cliché. She prayed that Shikamaru was right in his supposition that the simple obviousness of this fact would keep people from having any misgivings or thoughts that they might be alive because it just seemed so ridiculous. Shikamaru had done his job well to keep the press from showing any pictures or divulging too many details. Unfortunately, the story could not be kept out of the public arena because the press loved sensationalism and it might stir up more raised eyebrows if there was a big push to keep it secret. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest while she anxiously twisted the dust cloth in her hands.

Naruto would be here soon.

Aiko jumped at every sound she heard that night while she was trying to go to sleep. After two hours of lying in bed reacting to every little noise, she got up to walk outside. Inhaling the warm ocean breeze and rubbing her stiff neck, she attempted to relax her raw nerves.

"Looking for me?" Naruto asked, appearing from behind one of the palm trees.

"Naruto," she gasped, running to him. She leapt into his waiting arms, covering his face with kisses. His shaggy blond hair was still wet and his lips tasted like the salty ocean water.

"I was wondering when you would finally come outside to calm yourself. You're so predictable," he laughed lightly, kissing her again.

"And you're so very unpredictable. It's one of the things I've always loved about you," she murmured, pressing her lips to his for a passionate kiss.

"Do you want me to make love to you right here in the yard?" he asked her, setting her on her feet.

She looked around to see that it was darker than dark because it was a new moon and there were no street lights. They were also surrounded by trees. She clenched her toes in the grass beneath her feet. "The grass is soft. Go ahead."

Naruto lay her down gently in the plush green grass that covered their small backyard between their house and the sand. He made love to her with an urgency and desperation he had not felt in a while. He needed her; he needed all of her, not just her physical body. The last few weeks had been pure emotional hell between their separation and events leading up to their final endings. He could not help but note the inordinate amount of time Sakura had spent consoling the grieving Sasuke after Aiko's fake death. He didn't care. After all these years, they had all finally gotten what they wanted. He only hoped that Sakura would continue to be a distraction for Sasuke and keep any suspicions from rising while he and Aiko established a happy life.


	8. Time Goes On

Time Goes On

Aiko sat in the doctor's office waiting room flipping through a pregnancy magazine. This was the only obstetrician/gynecologist on the island so she hoped she liked the person. The office itself was nothing more than a small shack that appeared to have four rooms in it at the most. It was definitely not like the doctor's offices she was accustomed to but that was fine with her. She just wanted a doctor who could take care of her and the baby to make sure her child arrived safely in five months.

A woman who appeared to be in her thirties with long blond hair and unique golden eyes walked into the room and smiled at her.

"Are you Mrs. Namikaze?" she inquired pleasantly.

Aiko smiled because it was still odd to hear herself referred to by the pseudonym which was actually Naruto's mother's name. She guessed they would never think to search for a dead woman with a dead woman's name.

"Yes, I am. Dr. Tsunade?" she asked, unsure this woman was the doctor since she came to call on the patient herself.

"Yep. That's me. But just Tsunade, please. I'm not too caught up in titles. It makes me feel old and stodgy being called doctor," she laughed lightly, leading her back to one of the two patient rooms. "So did you bring your patient records with you?"

Aiko climbed up onto the table feeling anxiety pool in the pit of her stomach. "Uh, I haven't been to a doctor yet. I took a home pregnancy test," she explained, clutching her purse self-consciously as the doctor gave her an expression of disapproval.

"When was your last period?" she inquired.

Aiko gave her the date and the doctor crossed her arms under her tremendously huge breasts. She felt like a child about to be reprimanded for being derelict in completing her chores.

"You're at least sixteen weeks pregnant. Why haven't you gone to a doctor before now?" she demanded, her eyebrows drawing together over her nose and her mouth turning down into a severe frown.

"Um, I've had a lot of extenuating circumstances along with moving here," she explained in the vaguest terms.

"Hmph!" the doctor grunted irritably before turning to grab a big machine and wheel it over. "Let's see what we have going on here then."

Aiko lay back, pulling up her shirt to reveal a slightly rounded belly. She ignored the doctor's exasperated sigh of displeasure. A short shriek escaped her which made the doctor giggle as the woman squeezed cold gel onto her warm skin.

"Have you been taking any kind of vitamins?" Tsunade asked, pressing down mercilessly with an object that distinctly resembled a woman's personal pleasuring device. However, having her insides mashed with the transducer was definitely not pleasurable.

"I've been taking over the counter prenatal vitamins. Drinking lots of orange juice. Eating fruits and vegetables. Is that the baby?" she inquired, pointing at the white spot about the size of the mangoes she had been eating. She craved them for some reason. There was a flicker near the head that must be the heart.

"That's your baby and everything seems to be fine. Your timing is right on the nose. You are sixteen weeks judging by the measurements of the fetus," the doctor explained, flipping a switch to allow the expectant mother to hear the heartbeat. "Congratulations, mom. You and the baby are just fine."  
_

* * *

"HONEY!" Aiko shrieked happily, jumping on Naruto as soon as he walked in the door. He had been next door visiting Jiraiya while she was at her doctor's appointment.

"So, how is everything?" he asked, kissing her briefly while rubbing her little baby belly.

"Just great! Here," she said, handing him pictures from the ultrasound. "The first pictures of your son or daughter. I've got a video of the ultrasound as well that includes the heartbeat. Wanna watch it?"

"In a minute, sweetheart. We need to talk," he said, leading her to the couch.

"What's wrong?" she inquired worriedly, staring at his face which gave no hint as to whether the topic was good or bad.

"Nothing. I just have something important to discuss with you," he told her, sitting her down on the couch. He knelt in front of her holding her hands in his. "We need to talk about getting married."

"Yes, but we're still married to –"

"We're dead, remember? As far as they know anyway which is the most important thing. So what do you say? Want to marry me?"

'Well, that's a stupid question,' she thought to herself. Her heart beat faster and her breath came in a loud gasp when he pulled out a ring box from his pocket.

"Seriously. I want to make it official before the baby is born," he said, opening the box to reveal the teardrop shaped diamond. "I hope it's the last tear I ever give you."

Aiko sat silently with dozens of them streaming down her face as he slid the diamond onto her left hand finger. She was glad he did not have to wait for an answer because she could not speak. Flinging her arms around him, she covered his face with kisses before finally planting her lips on his. She kissed him with fervor, sliding her hands under his t-shirt. This called for a celebration with sex. Dinner and wine, well grape juice for her, could come later.  
_

* * *

They had a simple ceremony at the small local church with no one in attendance but the preacher and his wife. The clergyman and his wife were happy to perform the ceremony and said they were quite accustomed to these impromptu weddings with tourists. Naruto and Aiko had the distinct privilege of being the first locals, albeit very new locals, to have a quickie wedding. They went home to celebrate in true married bliss fashion despite being way beyond the honeymoon phase.

The pregnancy progressed with perfection and a healthy baby boy was delivered in their home. Nagisa was chosen for his name which means calm beach because it was so significant to Aiko. They gave him his paternal grandfather's name for his second name. The child had a fabulous cap of strawberry blond hair and his father's azure blue eyes. There was no doubt this boy belonged to Naruto Uzumaki. He cried loud and long and demanded so much of his mother's attention that his father actually became jealous. As he grew so did his activity levels. By the time he was six months old, he was crawling everywhere and getting into everything. Sometimes Aiko would put him in the playpen just to get a sanity break which did not last long because he was quick to climb out.

"You're just like your father," she would grumble with a smile when she would find the baby somewhere he should not be after she had just left him in the play pen.

Jiraiya was as pleased as he could be being a substitute grandfather. He would come over to play with the baby to allow Aiko to rest.

Nagisa celebrated his first birthday in their little beach bungalow with his parents, grandfather, and Tsunade who had helped bring him into this world. He thoroughly enjoyed the special cake he had all to himself, spreading it through his reddish blond hair and all over his face.

Life was fantastic. They were living their dream in a tropical paradise with their handsome son. Six months later, something shocking would appear that would threaten to ruin their lives.  
_

* * *

Aiko was at the open air market choosing fruits and vegetables. Her son was held securely in her arms and attached to her hip as they walked among the stalls picking out items. She sniffed a mango to check for ripeness and Nagisa reached for it with his chubby little eighteen month old hands.

"Here. You want to try it," she asked, holding it to the baby's nose. She giggled when he sniffed loudly and wrinkled his little nose.

"Smell nuttin' Mama," he squawked, wiggling around.

"Ah, it's a good one. Let's get it. What do you think?" she inquired cheerily, handing it to the vendor.

"More, please," he begged. It was his favorite fruit. Maybe she shouldn't have eaten so many when she was pregnant with him.

Aiko trusted the vendor to pick out two more for her because she was regular customer. After paying for the fruit, she decided it was time to go home. Her arm was getting tired but she had chosen not to bring the stroller because it was just too hard to navigate through the crowded market. She was only halfway paying attention to the people around her when she saw an unmistakable head of pink hair at booth packed with jewelry. Stopping in her tracks, she stared in disbelief, hoping against hope that her eyes were indeed deceiving her. When the woman turned, allowing her to see her profile she knew for sure there was no mistake. Her stomach clenched and for a moment she forgot to breathe. Sakura!

"Sweetheart, do you want that one?" a familiar male voice inquired. Sasuke moved around behind her to clasp the necklace.

"Oh, god, no," she gasped, unable to move. Wait. Did he just call her sweetheart?

Aiko looked at his left hand that was resting on Sakura's shoulder. He was wearing a wedding band but it was a thick platinum band with fancy etchings on it. Their bands had been plain gold ones. She watched as Sakura's hand reached up to pat Sasuke's. There was a matching band there on her left ring finger. This was too good to be true! A smile tilted her lips just before she finally came to herself. She had to get out of here before they saw her. Turning around quickly, she hurried through the procession of people to put as much distance between herself and the happy couple as possible.

"What doin', Mama?" Nagisa asked, giggling as she jostled him while she jogged back to the car.

"We're going home, baby. We have some great news to tell Daddy," she said, kissing the baby on his chubby cheek.

"Daddy! Daddy!" he yelled excitedly. His daddy was his favorite person in the world.  
_

* * *

Aiko careened into the driveway nearly hitting Naruto and Jiraiya who were repairing the garage door from a storm that had blown through the other night. Another one just arrived with wild green eyes and red cheeks. Her entrance reminded him of her arrival at the location of her untimely demise on the beach road.

"Naruto!" she screeched, filling him with anxiety by her panicked tone.

"What? What is it?" he asked impatiently, taking the baby from her.

Nagisa was none the worse for wear and seemed to having the time of his life as he clapped his hands and squealed with delight.

"You'll never believe who I saw at the market!" she yelled unnecessarily since she was only two feet away from him.

"Who?" 'Come on, come on, just tell me,' he thought with annoyance as his alarm grew from her apparent freak out.

"Sasuke and Sakura!" she exclaimed, her eyes about to bug out of her head.

"Who?" Naruto and Jiraiya inquired in unison. They had confessed their situation to him and told the truth about three months ago. They figured if they could not trust him at that point, they could never trust anyone. Besides, they needed an ally with them on the island.

"Yes! At the market!"she hollered.

"Honey, stop yelling. You're giving me a headache," he muttered, handing Nagisa to Jiraiya.

"That's not the best part," she announced, talking in a normal voice.

"Best part? What part of any of that can be construed as good?"

"They're married."

"Ohhhh, that is good."


	9. The Conclusion

The Conclusion

Aiko sat at the edge of the water with Nagisa held securely in her hands as he slapped at the waves that rushed over his kicking feet. She smiled while he squealed and giggled happily from water flowing away and sucking at his little toes. Seeing movement to her right, her head jerked in that direction to see Jiraiya walking her way. Her nerves had been on edge since seeing Sasuke and Sakura at the market a week ago. She had refused to leave the house; even having groceries delivered to avoid going out. She and Naruto had come too far to have their happiness ruined. Out of all the islands the two of them could have chosen to take a vacation, why did they have to choose this one?

"Are they gone?" Aiko inquired sharply when he knelt down beside them. She forced a smile when the big man patted the baby's head gently. Nagisa was so enthralled with playing in the water he did not even notice.

"I don't like the change in your personality lately. Don't worry everything will be fine," Jiraiya assured her, patting her on the shoulder. "I checked with all of my contacts at the hotel and the airport. They're gone. They left this morning. You were correct. They are Mr. and Mrs. Sasuke Uchiha and they were here on their honeymoon."

Aiko breathed a sigh of relief on many counts. The threat to their happiness was gone hopefully to never come back. So they were really married? She smiled. It made her happy to know that. Obviously they had moved on with their lives and forgotten about their 'deceased' spouses which meant they were not looking for her and Naruto. Closing her eyes and breathing an audible sigh, she truly felt free. Until now she had been haunted by the fear that had come to life that day in the market: the fear that she would one day cross paths with her husband again. It had happened, and it was over.

"When are you going to tell him?" Jiraiya asked suddenly.

"Tell who what?" she inquired innocently.

Jiraiya could see the blush on her cheeks and knew it was not the sun. "Don't you think your husband would want to know you're pregnant?"

"I was just waiting for the right time. And tell your girlfriend I won't sue her for violating doctor/patient privilege," she laughed. She knew exactly how he found out about her pregnancy.

"Well, that would be kind of awkward if you did sue her. It would be a terrible thing to sue the 'grandmother' of your children," he told her, smiling when she immediately understood what he was saying.

"Oh! Now who's withholding?" She punched him in the arm playfully as he grinned broadly. "So when is the wedding?"

"Guess we will have to get married soon. I don't think she wants a maid of honor who appears to be confiscating basketballs. Ouch!" he yelled, when she punched him in the arm hard enough he fell over.

They were both laughing like crazy people when Naruto joined them.

"What's so funny?" he asked, sitting down by his wife.

"Guess who's getting married?" Aiko queried.

"And guess who's pregnant?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Well, my choices are kinda limited here so…" Naruto grabbed his wife and kissed her hard on the mouth. "I hope it's a girl this time."

"Me too," she murmured, pecking him on the lips.

"Congratulations, Old Man! So you finally got hooked huh?" He shook hands with the obviously thrilled groom-to-be.

"Yeah. Watching you two made me realize there's something to this marriage thing. I thought I'd give it a try. I'm quite happy with grandkids. I can spoil them and send them home. No three in the morning feedings or dirty diapers to deal with," he laughed, staring at the young couple beside him that always seemed to be thrilled just to be together. "I hope you two are always happy together."

"We will be although it looks like there's going to be a lot more than two of us," Naruto said, rubbing his wife's belly.

There would be a lot more joining their little clan. They had a little girl next, followed by another girl then a boy. Aiko stayed pregnant for three years straight it seemed to build their little family. When their youngest child was a year old they received a very special visit from a man the children would come to know as Uncle Shikamaru.

"So why are you really here?" Naruto asked that night when the children were all in bed.

The men looked toward the kitchen where Aiko was cleaning up the mess from the birthday party with the help of Shikamaru's wife, Temari. Things had changed drastically in the past five years.

"Sasuke and Sakura are dead. They were killed during a sting operation that went bad. The bastard finally got caught but refused to go down without a fight. Aiko's company is a total loss. There's nothing salvageable at all. Everything her parents built is gone. It was actually destroyed years ago by Uchiha. I don't know how to tell her," Shikamaru said, looking over into the kitchen with his black eyebrows drawn together with worry.

"She's no wilting flower. I'm sure she already knows anyway. She went through some terrible things with Uchiha. Some of which I'm sure I don't even know about. So what about the Ramen Factory?" he questioned, staring at the CEO sitting across the table from him.

"Everything is fine. You are one of our greatest anonymous benefactors and chairman of the board _in absentia_." He smiled at the women, sitting up straight as they walked over with coffee and extra slices of birthday cake.

"Here, sweetheart," Aiko said, kissing Naruto then handing him the cake. "What are you two in such a serious discussion about?"

"Just going over business," Naruto answered, cramming half of the cake in his mouth at once. He loved his wife's cooking.

"Oh, you guys," she moaned, sipping her coffee. "This was supposed to be a vacation for Shikamaru."

"It's a working vacation. I can now use it as a tax deduction," Shikamaru smartly added.

"Work all you want tonight. You're taking me sight-seeing tomorrow," his blond haired green eyed wife informed him. Her intent glare over her coffee cup made the other two giggle. He had found the perfect mate: Temari was pretty, intelligent, and strong willed.

Naruto made a sound like whip complete with the hand gesture. He received a painful elbow in the ribs from his wife which made the victim of his taunt laugh.

"Like I'm the only one who is whipped," Shikamaru reminded him.

"Oh, but I like it. She knows I like it rough. Ow!" he exclaimed when he took another sharp jab to the ribcage. Rubbing his sore side, he leaned over to kiss his feisty wife on the cheek. "Back to business real quick, I'm giving you the company."

"What?" Shikamaru and Temari inquired with wide-eyed disbelief.

"Yeah. You've taken care of me all of these years so it's my turn to take care of you. Just send me my monthly dividend and royalty checks and I'm good," Naruto told him, hugging his wife to his side. They had already discussed this at length before their guests arrived.

"But you can come back. I just assumed you would retake management since you've always retained ownership and –" Shikamaru was thoroughly confused at the startling offer.

"Well, you assumed wrong. I'm not coming back. We're staying right here where we've built a whole new family. I have a successful consulting business as well so why would we leave? It's yours. In two more years when I'm declared legally dead it would revert to you anyway so it's only a matter of time. Just say thank you and be happy," he insisted, smiling at his friend who had not yet recovered from the shock.

"Thank you and we are," Temari spoke up, her green eyes shiny with tears of joy.

Naruto and Aiko shared a wonderful life together. They raised their family on an island paradise while surrounded by friends who became family. Instead of leading lives of miserable hopelessness, they were able to be together and live the life they had always dreamed of. Along the way, they helped others achieve seemingly impossible goals because they knew the difference it had made in their lives. Happiness is sometimes only a decision away. Only when they made the decision to take a giant leap of faith and do something crazy like faking their deaths, did their lives become the ones they always wanted. Only when they died, had they truly begun to live.

The End.


End file.
